Adapter for filling head for filling aerosol dispenser

ABSTRACT

An adapter for positioning between a filling head and an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container. The adapter is an annular member having the upper surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the lower surface of the filling head and the lower surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the upper surface of the dispenser. The axial dimension of the annular member at the inner periphery thereof is sufficient to space the filling head from the dispenser. The annular member has at least one air escape passage extending from the inner periphery thereof to the outer periphery thereof to which vacuum means can be connected to assist in air withdrawal as the product container is filled.

United States Patent Thornton 1451 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] ADAPTER FOR FILLING HEAD FOR FILLllNG AEROSOL DISPENSER [72] inventor: Marvin L. Thornton, Bayside, NY.

[73] Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Ardsley, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 31, 1968 [2]] Appl. No.: 788,245

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 453,458 4/1912 France ..239/426 T0 VACUUM SOURCE Primary ExaminerWilliam E. Wayner Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [57] ABSTRACT An adapter for positioning between a filling head and an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container. The adapter is an annular member having the upper surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the lower surface of the filling head and the lower surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the upper surface of the dispenser. The axial dimension of the annular member at the inner periphery thereof is sufficient to space the filling head from the dispenser. The annular member has at least one air escape passage extending from the inner periphery thereof to the outer periphery thereof to which vacuum means can be connected to assist in air withdrawal as the product container is filled.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED was are 3.636. 993

75 TO VACUUM SOURCE FIGZ INVENTOR FIG. MARVIN L.THOR'R79 ATTORNEYS ADAPTER lFUM FllLlLlNG HEAD FOR FlllLlLmG AEROSUIL DISPENSER This invention relates to an adapter for use with a filling head for filling an aerosol-type dispenser, and more particularly, relates to an adapter which spaces the filling head from the top of the dispenser and provides passages for vacuum assisted withdrawal of air from the product container of the dispenser as the product container is filled with a product to be dispensed.

In copending application Ser. No. 764,110, filed Oct. 1, 1968, in the name of Jean Marand, there is disclosed a filling head for filling an aerosol dispensing device in which the product to be dispensed is contained in an outer product container and the propellant for aspirating the product from the product container is contained in a propellant cartridge positioned within the production container, It will be understood that in the use of such a filling head, the filling head must move downwardly just far enough to open the valve means for the dispenser to permit both propellant and product to flow through the valve means into the container. Moreover, as product is supplied to the product container and gradually fills the container, it is necessary to provide some way for the air which is displaced from the product container by the incoming product to escape. In said application, the arrangement of parts is such that when it has reached the filling position, the filling head does not come completely down into tight contact with the top of the product container, thus leaving a space between the filling head and the top of the product container through which air flowing out through an opening in the top of the container can escape.

However, in practice, it is found that there is not always sufficient space left to insure proper escape of air being displaced from the product container, and, moreover, that the escape air is sometimes too slow.

lt is accordingly an object of the present invention to pro vide a filling head adapter, which, in addition to insuring the proper positioning of the filling head with respect to the product container to insure proper flow of product and propellant into the container, provides at least one passage to which vacuum means can be connected to assist withdrawal of air from the product container.

The invention will now be described in greater detail in the following specification, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the filling head adapter according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the filling head in engagement with the dispensing device with the valve means of the dispensing device in position for filling of both the product container and propellant cartridge, and showing the filling head adapter in position.

As seen in the accompanying drawings, the dispensing device to be filled comprises a product container 41 having a cover 43 thereon, the top surface of which has the inner portion tapered upwardly and outwardly from a central opening 43a and the outer portion tapered downwardly and outwardly. Depending from the cover 43 is a valve housing 46 within which is contained a hollow valve stem 47. The valve stem is slidable vertically against the action of a spring 44 held between the bottom of the recess 64 in the valve housing and a flange 63 on the valve stem. A lower gasket 511 obturates the openings 43a in the bottom of the valve stem 47, and an upper gasket 45 held between the valve housing 46 and a lip 42a on the cover 43 obturates both the openings from the recess 64 within the valve housing 46 into passages 32 up the outside of stem 47, and an opening (not visible) through the lip 42a from the space within the product container 411 and the opening 43a through the cover 43. Flexing of the gasket 45 downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2 opens the passage 32 along the valve stem 47 to the recess 64 within the valve housing. At the same time an opening (now shown) through the lip 42a depending from the edge of the cover around the opening in the cover is opened, a dip tube 56 extends from recess 64 into the product container. A propellant cartridge 53 is secured to the bottom of valve housing 46.

Thus, as product to be dispensed is fed along the valve stem and into the space 64 and through the dip tube 56, in the direction of the arrow D, the air displaced by the product flowing into the product container 411 will escape along the path of the arrow M through the opening in the depending lip 42a and out the opening 43a in the cover 43.

The filling head for filling the dispenser comprises a filling head member 2 suspended from a vertically movable shaft 3 and having a solenoid 26 therein for moving a valve member on the end of a core 25 into and out of contact with a valve seat 29. The valve seat 29 is positioned in a chamber 24 into which opens a passage from a propellant. feed conduit securing recess into which is threaded the end of a propellant feed conduit 8. A bore 31 extends from the valve seat 29 to an opening at the bottom of the head member and around which is a seating gasket 35 adapted to seat against the upper end of the valve stem 47.

The filling head member 2 has a second threaded recess therein into which is threaded the end of a product conduit 16, and a passage 34 leads from the recess: to the bottom of the filling head member 2 at a point spaced from the gasket 35 a distance such that the channel 34 opens at the top of the passages 32 along the outside of the valve stem. Sleeve 2a extends downwardly from the bottom of the member 2 to fit tightly around valve stem 47 to separate passages 32 from the outer portion of opening 430.

it will be seen that the lower part of the filling head member 2 is tapered upwardly and outwardly at an angle complementary to that of the taper of the upwardly and outwardly tapered part of the cover 43 of the product container.

In operation, the filling head is moved downwardly so that the seating gasket 35 seats against the end of the stem 47, and then moved further downwardly until the stem is moved down to the position in which the openings 48a are clear of the gasket 51. At this point the solenoid coil 26 is energized to raise the valve member from the seat 27 and propellant under pressure is fed through the chamber 24, the bore 31 and the stem 47 into the cartridge 53. At the same time, product is fed through the channel 34 and along the passages 32 in stem 47 through the recess 64 and dip tube 56 into the product container.

The adapter according to the present invention comprises an annular member between the filling head and the dispenser being filled. It has an aperture 71 in the center thereof having a diameter of the junction between the inner and outer tapered portions of cover 43. In cross section, the annular member 70 is tapered from the outer periphery to the inner periphery. Extending through the annular member 70 is at least one air escape passage 72, which, as shown in FlG. 2, has a smaller diameter portion extending outwardly from the inner periphery of the annular member and a larger diameter portion extending from the outer periphery to the point where it joins the smaller diameter portion. The taper of the annular member 70 on the upper surface thereof is complementary to the taper of the lower surface of the filling head member 2, and is complementary on the lower surface thereof to the taper of the outer portion of the cover 43 of the dispenser being filled. The axial dimension of the annular member 70 at the inner periphery is sufficient to keep the lower surface of the filling head spaced slightly from the surface of the cover 43 where the cover 43 is inclined upwardly and outwardly from the valve stem 47.

Thus, the provision of the annular member 70 insures that there will be a space between the bottom of the filling head 2 and the top of the cover 43 through which the air flowing through the opening in the cover 43 can be withdrawn from beneath the filling head. The air will flow along the space between the filling head and the cover and then through the passage 72.

It is important that the axial dimension of the annular member 70 at the inner periphery thereof be small enough so that the valve stem 47 can be depressed far enough to open the openings 48a at the bottom of the valve stem. Otherwise, propellant will be unable to flow through the propellant passage 31 and the hollow bore 48 of the valve stem 47 into the propellant cartridge 53.

It will be seen that the filling head adapter according to the present invention thus provides a positive stop for the filling head as it descends to depress the valve stem 47 for the filling operation. At the same time, it permits the filling head to descend far enough so that the openings in the valve stem open into the propellant cartridge. The adapter also stops the filling head at a point spaced from the cap so as to insure a space for the air to escape between the filling head and the cop, and provides a convenient means for applying a vacuum around the top of the container to assist in withdrawal of air from the container.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination: a filling head for filling an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container and propellant cartridge, said filling head having a tapered lower surface and a collar projecting therefrom and a product conduit and a propellant conduit opening into the space within the collar; an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container and propellant cartridge and having a stem projecting upwardly therefrom with separate passages therethrough for product and propellant and fitting within said collar so that when the collar is fitted around the stem, the propellant is conducted into the propellant passage and the product is conducted into the product passage, and said dispenser further having a cover with a tapered upper surface and an opening therein around said stem into which said collar depends when the filling head is in position so as to leave a space therearound and having valve means therein which are actuated by depression of the stem to vent air within the product container to said space around the collar; and an adapter between the filling head and the dispenser, said adapter being an annular member having the upper surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the lower surface of the filling head and lying thereagainst, and having a lower surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the upper surface of the dispense and lying thereagainst, the annular member having an axially extending annular inner surface between the tapered surfaces with an axial length sufficient to space the filling head from the dispenser, and said annular member further having at least one air escape passage extending from the said axially extending inner surface to the outer periphery of said annular member.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said air escape passage has a smaller diameter portion extending from the inner periphery thereof, and a larger diameter portion extending from the outer periphery thereof and joining the smaller diameter portion, the larger diameter portion being adapted to receive a connector of a vacuum hose. 

1. In combination: a filling head for filling an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container and propellant cartridge, said filling head having a tapered lower surface and a collar projecting therefrom and a product conduit and a propellant conduit opening into the space within the collar; an aerosol-type dispenser having a separate product container and propellant cartridge and having a stem projecting upwardly therefrom with separate passages therethrough for product and propellant and fitting within said collar so that when the collar is fitted around the stem, the propellant is conducted into the propellant passage and the product is conducted into the product passage, and said dispenser further having a cover with a tapered upper surface and an opening therein around said stem into which said collar depends when the filling head is in position so as to leave a space therearound and having valve means therein which are actuated by depression of the stem to vent air within the product container to said space around the collar; and an adapter between the filling head and the dispenser, said adapter being an annular member having the upper surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the lower surface of the filling head and lying thereagainst, and having a lower surface tapered with a taper complementary to the taper of the upper surface of the dispenser and lying thereagainst, the annular member having an axially extending annular inneR surface between the tapered surfaces with an axial length sufficient to space the filling head from the dispenser, and said annular member further having at least one air escape passage extending from the said axially extending inner surface to the outer periphery of said annular member.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said air escape passage has a smaller diameter portion extending from the inner periphery thereof, and a larger diameter portion extending from the outer periphery thereof and joining the smaller diameter portion, the larger diameter portion being adapted to receive a connector of a vacuum hose. 